Hoverboards May Soon Be Banned at Metro Stations

A ban is already in place for riding hoverboards on the Metro transit system, but that ban may soon extend to station platforms.

Recently, more than 30 universities, including American University and Georgetown University, have banned or restricted hoverboards on their campuses due to safety concerns.The transit agency says there are too many safety risks associated with the two-wheeled, motorized scooters to allow them on platforms, NBC Washington reports.

“They are a self-balancing, wheeled device, so that puts them in the same category as Segways for example, and we do have a policy that basically says Segways can only be carried in the system, they can’t be used in the system,” says Metro’s Chief spokesman Dan Stessel.

While there are some exceptions to Metro’s rule with Segways, such as medical reasons, the agency says no one has applied for that kind of privilege with a hoverboard.

“For the moment you can carry a hoverboard onto the system, but you cannot use it in stations, aboard trains or on Metro property,” Stessel tells NBC Washington.